Brent Burns Arrives at Avalanche Camp With Trimmed Beard, New Smile

Brent Burns reported to the Colorado Avalanche for medicals and media availability Wednesday with a dramatically different look.

The 41-year-old defenseman wore close-cropped whiskers instead of the long beard that had become one of hockey's most recognizable looks. His familiar gap-toothed smile was also replaced by a white dental bridge.

"He looks like some rookie I don't even recognize," agent Ron Salcer told ESPN.

Salcer said Burns began growing the beard roughly a dozen years ago in San Jose, where he and Joe Thornton turned their facial hair into a running act. The two posed together for ESPN The Magazine's Body Issue in 2017. Burns wore a Chewbacca mask at the 2016 All-Star Skills Competition, and the Sharks once handed out a Chia Pet modeled after his head.

"The playoff beard-turned-lifestyle beard has definitely played a role in making him so recognizable," former teammate Brenden Dillon told ESPN in 2023. "When you think about Brent Burns, I think you could ask a lot of Americans who maybe aren't the biggest hockey fans and he'd be one of the most recognizable faces in the game."

The hockey résumé has not changed. Burns is entering his second season with Colorado after previous stops with Minnesota, San Jose and Carolina. He has played 1,007 consecutive regular-season games, second in NHL history to Phil Kessel's record of 1,064. Burns has 945 points in 1,579 regular-season games and is still seeking his first Stanley Cup championship.

Asked Wednesday whether he had considered retiring after last season, Burns answered quickly.

"I never even thought about it," he said. "It was a great group. Have a chance to win. A lot of great positives."

Colorado's first on-ice camp sessions are scheduled for Thursday.